Donna Karan's Blog on her week with Barbra...

Click here to read the blog.

Funny Girl & The Guilt Trip on Blu-ray TODAY!

Consider today a Barbrathon!

Sony Home Entertainment have released FUNNY GIRL on Blu-ray, and Paramount have released THE GUILT TRIP!

I was lucky enough to get advanced copies on both of the above - and they are SPECTACULAR.

First of all, FUNNY GIRL. Wow. WHAT A TREAT! Sony have really done a fantastic job with the restoration. Lovingly restored from the original negative. Blu-ray.com summed it up nicely:

"The 2.35:1-framed print is meticulously clean, showing not a speckle, hair, or any sign of wear. Light grain beautifully floats over the image, giving it a desirable film-like texturing. It's ever-so-slightly soft on the whole

Details are exquisite; the many rich, lavish backdrops, as well as some of the more homely and worn down elements, reveal intimate textures that are beautifully clear and lifelike. Skin textures aren't often deeply intricate -- Streisand in particular takes on a very smooth, but naturally so appearance...

Colors are beautifully reproduced. The balance is striking, whether the film be showering the screen with a parade of bright hues or showcasing some plainer brown and other earthen tones. Black levels are deep and stable, while skin tones appear even.

This is everything a catalogue title should be, a miraculous presentation that's sure to please all comers. "

(The above review has been shortened for this newsletter).

I'd also like to add that the AUDIO on the Blu-ray is a treat. The first thing I did was turn on my surround sound... and went straight to "MY MAN" - and literally blasted it on full belt. Talk about goosebumps.

If you don't have a Blu-ray player, this film is the reason to go and BUY ONE!

There are two vintage featurettes included on the disc from the time of the movie. These were previously released on the DVD release from around a decade ago - but well worth a revisit.

Click here to order Funny Girl.

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"The Guilt Trip" is still fresh in our minds from it's recent cinema release, but when have we ever needed an excuse to re-watch a Barbra movie?

The "extras" included on this release are great, and it's worth buying the disc just to watch them. There's a funny gag reel... alternate opening and closing scenes.... featurettes... behind the scenes footage... interviews with the cast... lots of deleted scenes... and more.

It's a pleasure to see so much behind-the-scenes footage of Barbra on this Blu-ray. It's always rare to see Barbra behind the scenes. Maybe because she hasn't made many movies in the past few decades... but it did strike me how great it was to see her having fun making this movie.

Click here to order The Guilt Trip.

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In memory of Ally Waldman who would have loved today... and would have beautifully reviewed both movies in her own unique way.

Barbra at the White House...

Barbra attended the White House Correspondent's dinner tonight in Washington. Here are some great pix from the event.

RIP Dear Allison Waldman.

Dear Friend:

It's with a very heavy heart that I tell you that dear Allison Waldman passed away this evening in Florida. She had battled cancer on and off for many years, but her latest battle was just too tough to conquer.

Most of you know Allison through the books she had written on Barbra over the years. She was the MOST loyal and faithful fan I had the pleasure of knowing for over 12 years. Barbra could do no wrong in Ally's eyes, and it was so refreshing to "talk Barbra" with Allison many times over the years.

Her one wish was to meet Barbra. She told me enough times! Luckily it happened on October 13th last year, backstage at Barbra's Brooklyn concert. I was with her... and dropped her off at her friend's apartment in Manhattan on the way home. She had the biggest grin all the way to the apartment... and couldn't quite believe her luck. I'll never forget that smile, and that night. For her, it was meant to be.

Here's a great shot, backstage at the Brooklyn Concert with myself, Richard Jay-Alexander and Matt Howe (L-R).

We also all loved her weekly "Sunday with Ally" YouTube videos which she had done over the last few years. She recorded her last video just over two weeks ago. You could tell Ally was struggling... but she didn't want to let us down. Maybe she knew the end was near? Just listen to the opening lines of her video "I'm thinking maybe, baby, I'll go away".

Watch her final video here from March 31: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZR5j17GhVU

Thank you to everyone who donated to her "Nothing's Impossible" appeal over the years. It was a real struggle for Allison to pay for her cancer bills... but the Barbra fans really took the edge off, and came to her rescue. Barbra does have the most generous fans in the world.

RIP Allison. Your generosity will never be forgotten. What a MENSCH you were!

xoxo

Barbra Streisand on the passing of her longtime record producer and sound engineer, Phil Ramone

I’m so saddened to learn of Phil’s passing.

 We first worked together in 1967 when I did a free concert in Central Park. His brilliance at capturing sound was immediately evident.

 Later we worked together on the film “A Star Is Born” where Phil was able to record me singing live, including “Evergreen”.

 In the next decade we worked on the soundtrack to “Yentl” and many other recordings.

 Phil had impeccable musical taste, great ears and the most gentle way of bringing out the best in all the artists he worked with. The monumental recordings he produced will endure for all time.

 Barbra Streisand

Funny Girl Coming to Blu-ray.

Academy Award® and Golden Globe® Winner Barbra Streisand, in her First Starring Movie Role> FUNNY GIRL. Oscar® Nominees Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis and Walter Pidgeon Round out the Romantic Musical Drama.

Celebrating its 45th Anniversary by Debuting on Blu-ray™ April 30th Exclusively on Amazon.

Nominated for Eight Academy Awards®, Including Best Picture, and
Featuring Timeless Tunes, such as “My Man,” “People,” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”.

Bonus Features Include Two Vintage Featurettes.

Click here to pre-order.

Barbra adds Israel to Summer Tour!

For the first time in her illustrious career, Barbra will perform in Israel at the Bloomfield Stadium on June 20th. Tickets will go on sale March 29th. 

For links to ordering your tickets, visit www.barbrastreisand.com

Can't make the Israel show?

Barbra is also set to perform in Paris, Cologne and Berlin.

• Paris: June 10th (On sale March 27). 
• Cologne: June 12th (On sale March 25). 
• Berlin: June 15th (On sale March 25). 

(London/Amsterdam sold out, although do keep checking TicketMaster for occasional resales). 

 See Barbra's website for all details. Best of luck to you all!

Barbra announces European Tour.

Barbra to perform in:

• London. 
• Amsterdam. 
• Paris. 
• Cologne. 
• Berlin.
• More venues to come soon.

Full details here: http://www.barbrastreisand.com/us/home

Barbra Streisand Signs Directing Deal With Aldamisa International

Barbra Streisand has taken on a talent agency.


The legendary performer and social activist has signed with United Talent Agency, which will represent her as an actress, producer and director. She will continue to be represented by manager Marty Erlichman, who has guided her career -- including music -- for decades. Streisand has sold a whopping 71.5 million albums in the U.S. alone.

Streisand, 70, is a rare Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner. She most recently was onscreen opposite Seth Rogen in the comedy The Guilt Trip, her first starring film role in nearly a decade. She also performed at the Oscars on Feb. 24 in a tribute to late composer Marvin Hamlisch, her longtime friend and collaborator.
UTA also will represent Streisand's film and television production company Barwood Films.
A longtime champion of Democratic political candidates and philanthropic causes, Streisand's foundation has given millions of dollars to more than 700 nonprofit organizations, including the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai

Barbra at the 85th Annual Academy Awards

For the first time in 36 years, Barbra's return to the Academy Awards was during the show's In Memoriam montage, which concluded with the image of The Way We Were composer Marvin Hamlisch.

This was Barbra's first Live-singing appearance on TV since 2001 (not including pre-recorded "live" TV appearances). 'Marvin Hamlisch was a composer of extraordinary depth and versatility,' said Barbra. 'He was also a very kind and generous friend who could always make me laugh. Over the years, we shared many adventures together.

 'Marvin left us way too soon, but I'll always have those wonderful, wonderful memories.'

Barbra was trending on twitter during and after the performance... with some fantastic comments....

Oprah Winfrey @Oprah
Barbra Streisand standing O for being classic elegance in every way.#Oscars

Sandra Bernhard ‏@SandraBernhard
Misty water colored memories a long nail a cleopatra eye classic streisand #oscars2013

 Vera Wang ‏@VeraWangGang T

he Way We Were....Barbra Streisand......still so amazing! XxVera
 

Pre-Order Hello Dolly [Blu-ray] (1969)

•Video Resolution/Codec: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4


•Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

•Audio Formats:

◦English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

◦French Dolby Digital 4.0

◦Spanish Dolby Digital Mono

•Subtitles/Captions: English SDH, Spanish

•Supplements:

◦Directing Dolly: Gene Kelly Remembered

◦1969 Featurette

Click here to pre-order with Amazon.

Zadan and Meron Talk Barbra...

Deadline: And Barbra Streisand will be singing on the show for only the second time ever. What will she be singing? I have been guessing The Way We Were.

Zadan: Everyone has been asking us that. When we went to Barbra the first day we got the job , we said we are doing this theme of music and we said ‘how can we do it without you? We must have you’ and she said ‘yes’. What we didn’t know when we asked her is that she hadn’t sung on the show in 36 years since she won for “Evergreen”. How thrilling is it to have her be part of this. And she also likes the fact that in planning what she’s going to do on the show – we had to spend several meetings planning what she is actually going to sing on the show – she said ‘I love the fact that you announced me but you didn’t announce what I would be doing because I really want to surprise people when I come out as to what I am going to be doing’.

Meron: But we love the speculation.

Just in Time for Mother’s Day, the Mother of All Road Trips Debuts on Blu-ray™ and DVD April 30, 2013

BARBRA STREISAND AND SETH ROGEN STAR IN THE HILARIOUS AND HEARTFELT COMEDY.

“Smart, charming, thoughtful and funny.” —Mary Pols, Time

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – The “hilarious and heartfelt” (Shawn Edwards, Fox-TV) story of one man’s cross-country road trip with his mother, THE GUILT TRIP hits the road on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand April 30, 2013 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Screen legend Barbra Streisand and comic master Seth Rogen “are the perfect comedy duo” (Shawn Edwards, Fox-TV) in director Anne Fletcher’s (The Proposal) delightful and heartwarming comedy that is “packed with laugh-out-loud moments” (Meriah Doty, Yahoo! Movies). As inventor Andy Brewster (Rogen) is about to embark on a road trip to sell his latest product, he feels compelled to invite his mother, Joyce (Streisand), along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of adventure and antics both Andy and Joyce discover that while they have their differences, they also have more in common than they ever realized.

An ideal gift to share with your mom on Mother’s Day, THE GUILT TRIP will be available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with UltraViolet™. The two-disc set comes packed with over an hour of hilarious bonus features including featurettes on Barbra and Seth, a look inside Barbra’s world, an alternate opening and ending, over 10 deleted scenes and an uproarious gag reel. The film will also be available as a single-disc DVD.

The Blu-ray release available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – reliably and securely – to a variety of devices.

THE GUILT TRIP Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack:

THE GUILT TRIP Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a digital copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

• Feature film in high definition

• Barbra & Seth

• Barbra’s World

• Guilt Trip: A Real Mother of a Road Trip

• In the Driver’s Seat

• Not Really a Road Trip Movie

• Alternate Openings

• Alternate Ending

• Over 10 Deleted Scenes

• Gag Reel

DVD

• Feature film in standard definition

THE GUILT TRIP Single-Disc DVD:

The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present a Michaels/Goldwyn Production of an Anne Fletcher film: “The Guilt Trip”. Executive Produced by Seth Rogen, Barbra Streisand, Mary McLaglen, Dan Fogelman, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake. Produced by Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn and Evan Goldberg. Written by Dan Fogelman. Directed by Anne Fletcher.

Click here to pre-order.

Barbra Streisand inks helming deal

Aldamisa to produce project

By Robert Mitchell - Variety.com

LONDON -- Barbra Streisand has signed a helming deal with production and sales company Aldamisa International.

The deal will see Streisand take up helming duties for the first time since 1996's "The Mirror Has Two Faces," in which she co-starred with Jeff Bridges.
"We are thrilled to provide underwriting for a filmmaker of (Streisand's) vision, stature and accomplishment," said Nadine de Barros, president of international sales and acquisitions at Aldamisa.
No details are yet available, with Streisand contemplating several projects. The film will be financed by Mark Manuel's Kilburn Media and produced by de Barros and Aldamisa co-chairman Sergei Bespalov.
Streisand recently appeared in Paramount comedy "The Guilt Trip," alongside Seth Rogen. The film marked her first lead acting role since "The Mirror Has Two Faces." She made her helming debut with 1983's "Yentl" and also handled 1991's "The Prince of Tides."

Streisand to perform at Oscars

First live performance at Academy Awards since 1977

By Jon Weisman

Barbra Streisand will perform at the 85th annual Academy Awards on Feb. 24, headlining a ceremony that is rapidly filling with performances and music. It will be Streisand's second performance ever at the Oscars and first in 36 years, since singing "A Star Is Born" in 1977.

She won an original song Oscar for "Evergreen" that night. "In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music," said Oscarcast exec producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, "how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand?

We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance." Streisand also won a lead actress Oscar for 1968's "Funny Girl" and has been nominated three other times in three different categories.

Previously, the Academy announced that Adele will perform the Oscar-nominated title song that she co-wrote with Paul Epworth from "Skyfall" at the Oscars, and that Norah Jones will perform "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" - - co-written by Oscar host Seth MacFarlane with Walter Murphy - - from the motion picture "Ted."

As part of its emphasis on tunes, this year's ceremony will also include a special celebration of movie musicals from the past 10 years, including "Chicago," "Dreamgirls" and "Les Miserables." There will also be a tribute to the 50th year of the James Bond franchise, which launched with "Dr. No" in 1962.

Tony-winning production designer Derek McLane makes his debut as the set designer for the Oscars.

A Star Is Born on Blu-ray

Not long to go!

The movie will be released on blu-ray on February 5th.

The film will be packaged with a 40-page Blu-ray book filled with live performance and rare photos.

Special Features Include:

•Commentary by Barbra Streisand.
•Additional Scenes.
•Wardrobe Tests.
•Soundtrack remastered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
•A Star Is Born Trailer Gallery.

Click here to pre-order.

Hello, Dolly! coming to Blu-ray

20th Century Fox have said they will release "Hello, Dolly!" on blu-ray on April 2nd of this year. I don't have any information on extras at the moment, but watch this space.

Barbra Speaks at Clinton Health Matters Initiative

On Tuesday, Barbra spoke at the Clinton Health Matters Initiative in La Quinta, California. During her brief speech, she announced that The Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars Sinai is pledging $2 million dollars for a national campaign to address the prevention and advocacy for women's heart health. Barbra said "The pledges made during this conference will undoubtedly impact many lives for years to come".

Streisand to Receive Film Society Honor

By JENNIFER SCHUESSLER

Barbra Streisand will receive the annual Chaplin Award at a ceremony in April, the Film Society of Lincoln Center said today. Among Ms. Streisand’s many accomplishments on screen and stage, the society singled out in particular the 1983 “Yentl,” which was the first film to credit a woman as writer, director, producer and star. “She is an artist whose long career of incomparable achievements is most powerfully expressed by the fact that her acclaimed ‘Yentl’ was such a milestone film,”

Ann Tenenbaum, the chairwoman of the society’s board, said in a statement. “We welcome her to the list of masterful directors who have been prior recipients of the Chaplin Award tribute.” “Yentl” earned five Academy Award nominations, though, in what was widely regarded as a snub, none for Ms. Streisand herself. Now 70, Ms. Streisand had that year become the first woman to win the Golden Globe for best director, and had previously won the best actress Oscar for her performance as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” (1968) and the best original song award for “Evergreen,” from “A Star Is Born” (1976). The other two films she directed, “The Prince of Tides” (1991) and “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996), received nine Oscar nominations between them, including a best picture nod for “The Prince of Tides,” but again no best-director nomination for Ms. Streisand.

The award will be presented at the society’s annual gala on April 22. It is named for Charlie Chaplin, who returned to the United States after 20 years of exile to accept the society’s lifetime achievement honor in 1972. Other recipients have included Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sidney Poitier and, last year, Catherine Deneuve.

Ann Hampton Callaway – The Streisand Songbook

Feb 10, 7:30 pm
Walt Disney Concert Hall

Ann Hampton Callaway has written over 250 songs, from television themes to Broadway show numbers. Her songs have been sung and recorded by most of the heroes of the Great American Songbook, including Barbra Streisand, who asked Callaway to write the lyrics for the song she sang to James Brolin at their wedding.

Artists

• Ann Hampton Callaway
• Alan Bergman, special guest

Presented by LA Phil. For tickets starting at $41 visit LAPhil.com.

Note from Craig: Read my wonderful (old) interview with Ann Hampton Callaway here: http://www.barbranews.com/annhamptoncallaway.htm

The Guilt Trip DVD and Blu-ray!

Pre-order now - and save 50% with Amazon.

Despite the fact "The Guilt Trip" is still in theaters, Amazon are already taking pre-orders on the blu-ray/DVD with 50% off (as of December 29th).

Click here to pre-order The Guilt Trip (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo +Digital Copy) (2012)

-Or-

Click here to pre-order the Standalone DVD

There is no release date - but pre-ordering guarantees the lowest price.

(Pre-order Price Guarantee! Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you'll receive the lowest price.)

Barbra Streisand Talks Gay Icon Status. Calls For Equal Rights.

Legend Returns To Film In 'The Guilt Trip'

By Chris Azzopardi.
Barbra Streisand takes center stage, but she's not busting out "The Way We Were." Not today, anyway.

The legend is promoting her first major film in 16 years at the Four Seasons Los Angeles. Her hair is perfectly coiffed and - dressed in her usual all-black attire - she's got the off-the-shoulder look going on.

Hello, gorgeous, indeed.

Not long into the interview, a makeup artist waiting in the wings pats any remnants of forehead sweat. You don't let a legend perspire - and Barbra Streisand is the epitome of an American treasure: a consummate singer with a timeless mezzo-soprano; an Emmy, Oscar and Grammy award winner; and the actress who stole hearts in "A Star is Born." To us, a gay icon.

After a short stint of recent sold-out shows, Streisand returns to starring-role status in "The Guilt Trip," opening Dec. 19, alongside goofball Seth Rogen - for real: Babs with the "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" actor - as a mother-son duo that goes road-tripping together and gets into all sorts of shenanigans. If it weren't for director Anne Fletcher ("The Proposal"), a Detroit native who would only do the film with Babs, there'd be no movie - and, worse, no Barbra.

Streisand, along with Rogen and Fletcher, sat down to chat about the reason she finally gave in (thank her own gay son for that), what she thinks of being a gay icon and how she's managed to stay successful for nearly six decades.

What was it like meeting each other for the first time?

Barbra Streisand: Seth sussed me out. He called people.

Seth Rogen: And she checked out. This Barbra Streisand lady checked out. So I thought I'd give her a shot. (Laughs)

BS: I didn't know who to call. I don't know any of those people from his movies, so what was I gonna do? No - I thought he was adorable.

What are you two like off set?

SR: The way we talk in real life is not entirely different than our rapport in the movie. It's a lot of me trying to explain things to her about modern times and her trying to feed me shit I don't want to eat.

BS: I was the one with the iPhone.

SR: She had an iPhone before me. I was like, "I gotta get myself one of these. If Barbra can work an iPhone, it's gotta be fun."

BS: Yesterday he asked me if I had a Twitter account. I said, "I don't know."

SR: I showed her that she did! I change her clocks during daylight savings and all that stuff.

You must know a lot of gay people are going to see this movie -

BS: We hope so.

Because Seth is such a huge gay icon.

SR: (Sarcastically) I'm a gay icon? Do gay people like Barbra, too? I didn't know that.

Barbra, how do you feel about the label of "gay icon" - and do you think your own son, Jason Gould, thinks of you as one?

BS: He doesn't see me as an icon. He sees me as his mother who touches his hair too much. No - I love being an icon to anybody. Equal rights, you know!

SR: Yeah. Me too. (Laughs)

What did your gay friends think when you told them you were working with Barbra?

Anne Fletcher: Everyone in my life is gay, but I have one best friend who has been obsessed with her since he was a child. His entire childhood was saved because of Barbra - with her music and her movies. His mom had just died four or five years ago, so for him to meet her on the movie - and her and I having such a relationship - was just full circle.

Tell me about growing up in Detroit.

AF: What you learn there - your instinct and your street smarts - is like nothing else. You just don't mess with me. But I love Detroit with my soul. I come home every Christmas and I love to go to all my stomping grounds from where we grew up in Belle Isle. I wish I could be rich to own the whole island to make it what it was when I was a kid. I love it because it's my heart.

Barbra, how much contact did you and Jason have when you were considering the role?

BS: He actually was very important in my decision to make the movie. He was recovering from back surgery, so he was in bed for a few days after, and I brought the script over and we read it out loud. It was interesting, actually. His father was in the room, too. Isn't that funny? We were both coddling our son, so he became the audience and Jason was reading the parts with me and he said, "I think you should do it, Mom." I really trust his integrity and his opinion. He has great taste in whatever he chooses to do. And he clinched the deal.

: I was with you all over the world, but I love that Jason just one night says, "Yes, Mom, do it." (I said that) for a whole year!

BS: Well, he's my son. (Laughs)

What about reading it with your son sealed the deal?

BS: Mothers develop guilt trips. I feel guilty as a parent that I couldn't pick up my son every day from school and bake him cookies. I know that feeling. I know that feeling a lot. Having a famous parent is an odd thing. I thought it was interesting to investigate trying to be my son's friend versus a mother.

It was a true story. It's (writer) Dan (Fogelman) and his mother. She was a fan of mine, and Dan wrote this lovely script. It just felt like it was meant to be. Meant for me to come back to work in a starring role. It was time to challenge myself again.

Of course, I made it very difficult for them to hire me, because I kept wanting an out: "I really don't wanna schlep to Paramount. It's two hours each way, so would you, like, rent a warehouse and build the sets in the Valley no more than 45 minutes from my house?" They said yes.

AF: I wasn't gonna do this movie without these two. There wasn't backup. If Seth said no, there was no replacement; if Barbra said no, there was no replacement. It was them, or I wasn't gonna make the movie.

BS: I said to Anne, "Would you make the movie without me?" And she said no. And I felt bad! Another guilt trip, right?

SR: I was open to Shirley MacLaine. (Laughs) No, it's not true. I only would've done it if Barbra was doing it.

BS: It was great to feel wanted.

Who is another gay icon you want to work with, Anne?

AF: I don't really like the "gay icons," by the way. I don't really respond to them very well. I think Barbra is so grounded in many different things, but there's some of them - I'm really insulting gay sensibility. (Laughs) But Liza Minnelli. I do love Liza.

What was Barbra like? What surprised you most about her?

AF: We became friends instantly. She's easygoing, funny, kind, strong and knows who she is. She's unbelievably awesome. She'd tell me some of the greatest, most personable stories that happened in her life that I can't remember one iota of. My best friend's a little pissed about that. (Laughs)

I imagine directing a legend like Barbra Streisand would be intimidating. Was it? Did she call the shots?

AF: It's not intimidating. She comes to work as an actor, as an artist, and she's been doing it for so long that all the pieces fall back into place exactly how they were. We're all there for the common good, so she would come to work as any other actor. She's a legend, so that's a little different. But it was never intimidating, because she's just so genuine. She had my back, and the support I had from her was extraordinary.

So no diva moments?

AF: Never. I know we've all heard the stories about her endlessly throughout all these years, but I can't say whether they're true or false. I just know from my experience I had an unbelievable experience with her, and I would do it again. She works harder than anyone. And her brain never shuts off. That's the only thing I would complain about! Like, "Please stop thinking for just five minutes - because I'm tired." (Laughs)

Even if people think of her as a diva, this role really takes you out of that mindset. You never think of Barbra Streisand, "the diva."

AF: That's the best compliment. I'm glad you say that. This was part of our conversation: "If we're gonna win the audience, you have to be every mother. You have to capture the essence of moms now. You can't be glamorous-beautiful. You have to be every mom for us to tell the story the right way."

Barbra, what's your beauty secret?

BS: God, what is my secret?

SR: Sitting next to me helps.

BS: (Laughs) He is so funny. If you knew all my self-doubt, my god - I don't know. Maybe I'm slightly childish.

AF: Your spirit is youthful.

BS: Yeah. I kind of like the child part of me.

What was harder for you, Barbra: the drama or the comedy elements of the film?

BS: Eating steak! That was the hardest thing, I think. But no, they're both the same. I don't think there's a distinction between how you play drama or comedy, if it's based in truth.

AF: This woman may not like steak, but she's a foodie. You've never met a foodie in your whole life until you've been with Barbra Streisand. This woman loves food more than anything - and she will eat it! She's a bottomless pit. We had many discussions about that steak scene. From Barbra's side it was, "Does it have to be that? It seems a little gross."

Anne, did Barbra ever break into song?

AF: Never. Barbra will not sing. I sang an awful lot to her. But she will not sing. There's a thing that she did in the movie that we cut out where she'd go, "Hmm, hmm, hmm." She would do rhythmic things that she does with her voice that only Barbra can do - and I would take that as singing. But she would never do it. Never. She's so rude. (Laughs) Give us a free concert, Barbra. She's like, "Pay for it!"

You can sing, act, produce, write and direct. What can't you do well?

BS: I can't cook at all. I mean, I would not know how to make coffee. I took cooking classes. I know how to make chocolate souffle. Just ask me if I want to make it. I'd rather have somebody else make the chocolate souffle - and I eat it. When I tried to cook, put it this way: It was never appetizing to eat. And the hands! So filthy with the stuff. And then cleaning up - no, I don't like that part.

Barbra, you must see a lot of scripts, right?

BS: I don't. You see, everybody thinks like you. Meanwhile, I go, "Where are the scripts?" (Laughs) It's not the same as when I last made a film. They're not interested in love stories. It's a different time. I don't like it as much.

What's the secret to your success?

BS: Oh my god. I don't make that many movies and I don't make that many appearances so I ...

SR: ... leave them wanting more.

BS: Less is more. Maybe that keeps a little mystery or something.

What do you want audiences to take away from the film?

BS: I want them to be moved and I want them to see themselves in the movie. I want them to get closer to their children. A lot of things. It's a transformative kind of movie. They start at one point and are both kind of tragically alone, not finding a mate, and then at the end there are many more possibilities. Horizons open. He took me out of my shell. It's about love. I always say it's a different kind of love story.

SR: Which to me sounds gross.

BS: See where your mind goes? Always to the sexual.

SR: Right in the gutter.

Streisand on married life, new movie, Lady Gaga

http://entertainment.inquirer.net/

LOS ANGELES—We half-expected Barbra Streisand to arrive at our interview to the tune of a full orchestra overture of her most memorable hits. But, without fanfare, there she was in front of us, in a black suit, high-collared white blouse and tie that reminded us of her character in “Yentl.”

Once seated, La Streisand took off her round glasses, which she fiddled with. When she was not doing that, she used her hands with those famous long, slender fingers (and nails) to stress points.
“Time has gone so fast,” she declared in this, our second chat with her (the first one was in 2004). She was referring to her enduring marriage to actor James Brolin, whom she calls Jim. “We’ve been together 15 years already. My gosh. It’s funny—it’s great to be alone and be together at the same time. He can do his own thing. He’s always at his computer; I’m not. It’s like we’re in the same house or in the same room and he does his thing and I do my thing.”

Laughing, she quipped in that dulcet voice: “That makes me happy and that makes him happy.”

And surprise, surprise—can you picture the diva going on road trips in a truck and spending the night in a $55 a night motel?

Pack and go

“I go on little trips with my husband because, before I met him, I never did that,” said the singer-actress-director, who marks her 50th year in show business this year. “We bought a truck. That’s a nice feeling of when you want to get away, you pack food, get in the truck and you go.”

Relish the humor in her next sentence: “I would travel with my own produce—low-fat sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and whatever.”

The ageless icon, now 70, recalled the night they stayed in one of the big hotels in Las Vegas owned by a friend: “I couldn’t believe that the refrigerator was broken in this enormous suite which was very fancy.”

She added: “Then the next night, Jim said, ‘I’m going to take you to a place where you don’t have to talk to people or anything.’ It was a motel for $55 a night. He just backed up into a [parking] spot. The icebox worked. To me, that was fantastic. I didn’t have to talk to anyone. They had TV. The room smelled a little of smoke, but what can you do? I love road trips—short ones.”

In her new film, “The Guilt Trip,” she plays a mom who goes on an eight-day road trip with her son (Seth Rogen).

Life with Jim includes playing games. (In one game, he even beat former US President Bill Clinton.)

“I play games with friends—cards, backgammon, rummy cube,” she said. “He’s a good rummy cube player. We played on Thanksgiving with friends and that was really fun. The last time we played rummy cube was with President Clinton. My husband actually beat him. President Clinton did not like that, but he hadn’t played for a while.”

Likes Gaga

Switching to other topics, she was asked about Lady Gaga. “I like her a lot,” came her quick, sure answer. “I think she really has something. She’s gifted, a real talent. Her television special was amazing. She has a very good voice, which she doesn’t show in a lot of her songs. But when she sang with Tony Bennett, it was like, ‘What? Who is that?’”

On “Glee” and Lea Michele, who idolizes Barbra on- and off-screen, she said, “I never saw ‘Glee’ until [I watched] a Golden Globe [show] when Ryan Murphy got an award and he thanked me. He said, ‘Thank you, Barbra Streisand.’ I said, ‘What? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.’ So that was when I saw ‘Glee.’ So, oh, the character (Lea’s) is sort of obsessed with me.”

She continued: “It’s very sweet because she (Lea) came to the last night of this concert at the Hollywood Bowl. She was too shy. Not that night but another night. It must have been some show (Grammy Awards’ MusiCares Feb. 2011 gala). She was too afraid to come up to me. I went up to her, ‘So you’re the girl, blah blah blah.’ It was very sweet.”
There was a time when she rarely performed. Barbra explained: “As I said in my show, I sang at Central Park in 1967 and I forgot the words to, I think, a couple of songs. I was so frightened by it that I could forget the words to songs that I didn’t perform for 27 years, except for fund-raisers where I didn’t have to charge. But I’m very relaxed now. That’s a great thing about getting older and having experience. I just wasn’t frightened as much, put it that way.

Forgetting words
“I still have a fear of forgetting the words, but I can get up, go past it and be there. It’s not like I’m terrified anymore now, especially having my son. To me, it was about presenting him.”

Barbra was referring to that Hollywood Bowl concert last month where she proudly introduced Jason Gould (her son with actor Elliot Gould).

The famous momma said, “I used to tell my son when he thought that maybe his problems were about having well-known parents, but then as he grew up, I could show him that other families that didn’t have celebrity parents also had problems. But he’s done an amazing job on himself, on his growth as a person, so that all of a sudden, he feels like he wants to sing. He plays me a record that he made and it’s so magical and incredibly good. All of a sudden, he can stand in front of 19,000 people and sing. It just made my heart explode out of joy. I’m so proud of him.”

Comeback movie

How she was convinced to act again in a film written by Dan Fogelman and directed by Anne Fletcher was another candid anecdote from the superstar. “Dan’s mother was a fan of mine and he wrote this about his mother.” With a smile, she said, “She wanted me to play her. It took her a year to convince me to do it, but I thought it would be interesting to play a starring role again after 16 years. I made it hard for them to hire me. I threw all kinds of obstacles in the way.”

Added Barbra: “I didn’t take the road trip. I want to stay at home. I didn’t even want to take an hour and a half riding a car in the morning to get to the Paramount Studios. So I said, ‘If you get a warehouse in the Valley no more than 45 minutes away from my house and you build the sets there…’

Barbra pointed out that in most movies, “you have to get up very early in the morning. I am not an early morning person. Jim and I stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. We sleep in the day. It comes from the theater—when I was doing ‘Funny Girl,’ I went to bed at 4:00 in the morning and got up at noon. I kept saying, ‘I can’t do it (‘The Guilt Trip’) because you’ll never give me this and I don’t blame you.’ But they just really wanted us to do it.”

Perfectionist

When we asked Barbra about her reputation as a perfectionist, she replied: “Perfection is a funny word. I strive for excellence. I don’t think perfection exists in a sense. You can just strive toward it. Humanity is in the imperfection. I said this when I was 15 years old. I remember in an article [where I said], ‘Perfection is imperfection because it can’t be so perfect.’ Because then it’s inhuman.

“I am much more relaxed about it but I regret it sometimes,” she admitted with a laugh. “I did something the other day. I didn’t care about the lighting and then I went, ‘Oh my God, I should have cared more.’ Even in the book on my passion for design that I wrote a year ago, I wasn’t going to talk about perfectionism, but then I realized, wait a minute—I am not ashamed of being called a perfectionist. I welcome that.

“When you hear an architect talk about a wall that was 1/16th of an inch off and he made them tear it down and build it straighter … he’s a great architect.”

Now, she was on a roll: “In terms of men, when they are called perfectionists, it’s a compliment. I think it was coming from the fact that women were not supposed to be in such kinds of positions of power. So now, I say unabashedly I’m probably still a perfectionist. I even wrote about it in my last album. I wouldn’t release songs because they were less than so-called perfect. There was a note that I didn’t like, and now, I’ve released the album called ‘Release Me.’ There are things that, when I hear them again, I go, ‘That’s not bad. It’s just different.’ It’s one take of something—it’s how good is good, in other words. How good do you have to be? What’s good enough? It’s good enough.”

Environmentalist

How does the perfectionist chill? “In my house, in my comfy robe,” said Barbra, who is also a passionate environmentalist. “I have my vegetable garden so I have organic produce. I have eggs from chickens. I have gorgeous flowers, including roses, in my garden. What more do you need?”

The garden brought memories of her mom and food. “My mother always fed me,” she said with obvious fondness for Diana Streisand. “Instead of saying ‘I love you’ or giving me a hug, she would bring me half of a cantaloupe. Food was love.”

One exception

However, there is one exception—steak does not equal love in Barbra’s world. And she had to be filmed eating steak for three days. “That was a tough sequence,” she said. “The interesting thing is that I didn’t want to do it because I eat one bit of steak and then I get sick of steak. I can’t eat a lot of it. I was talking to Dan, ‘Can we come up with some other thing that I could eat?’

“Then I realized, no, it’s the real thing. It’s the real story of Dan and his mother. As a filmmaker, I thought this works for the movie so the actress has to take second place to the filmmaker in me. It serves the film. The steak was 50 ounces and with the baked potato and everything. It’s a real place they must have gone to. I kept trying to just eat it and spit it out. I had a bucket underneath.”

On her eagerly awaited return to directing via “Skinny and Cat” with Cate Blanchett and Colin Firth, Barbra revealed that raising money for the project was a problem.

“It’s a very interesting thing now,” she said. “Studios want to spend over $100 million on action movies with CGI and all that stuff, or they’ll do movies for basically around $10-$15 million. But there’s nothing in between.

“This is a beautiful love story that needs around $18 million. For a while, the project stopped because we could only raise $13 million. I just found a place that will give us $15 million. I’m trying to raise more money because I don’t think anybody really gets tired of love stories. It’s what makes the world go round.”

Looking into the future, she repeated a question and answered, “How to spend the rest of my life? One minute, I’m ambitious and I want to direct films and sing in other places in the world. Then the next minute, I’m going, ‘Oh God, it’s just so fun to stay home and watch movies, read books, write and not to have to talk.’”

This award-winning multi-hyphenate disclosed yet another dream: “I’d love to play the cello. It’s not over yet. I may yet play the cello.”

She added: “I’m going to write my memoir after I direct a couple of movies if I can or play ‘Gypsy,’ if they ever work out the rights deal.”

Cancelled: Barbra On "Piers Morgan Tonight".

Due to the senseless and tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut this morning, Barbra's interview with Piers Morgan will NOT be airing this evening as originally planned. We will alert you for when the interview is rescheduled to air.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families during this painful time.

Paramount Certain Barbra Would Get Golden Globe Nomination.

UPDATE, 10:34 AM: Paramount moved swiftly to remove the clip from its YouTube page and has sent along this statement: “Given Barbra’s incredible performance in the film, there was certainly every hope in our mind that she would be duly recognized this morning. Like all studios, we create many advertising spots in advance of they key award nomination announcements so we are prepared in the event of a nomination. One such spot was inadvertently posted online and immediately taken down.” The spot in question was a 20-second ad for the road-trip comedy due out December 19, with a voice-over touting Streisand just having been nominated for a Golden Globe, with words appearing on the screen to that effect.

 PREVIOUS, 8:02 AM: Somebody in the Paramount awards department was a bit too eager to tout Barbra Streisand‘s Golden Globe nomination for Guilt Trip, posting this promo to the studio’s YouTube page last night. Of course, it would have been forgiven probably — if Streisand had actually been nominated this morning. It goes to show just how sure Paramount and many others were that she would land a nom. After all, she’s a darling of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, having been nominated for countless Globes for acting, directing and songs. She even won the group’s lifetime achievement honor, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, in 2000.

The Guilt Trip Updates.

The Guilt Trip Updates.

Official website (with many video clips): http://www.guilttripmovie.com/

The premiere will be held in Los Angeles tonight. I'll try and bring you an update tomorrow with photos... depending on whether Barbra poses for the press.

Barbra on Piers Morgan:

Barbra Streisand on Piers Morgan show this Friday Dec. 14th. CNN.

Barbra on Dr. Phil:

Aired yesterday (Monday). Watch clips here:

http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1935

Video: Barbra talks to E!

Barbra gives an update on the "Lady Gaga" leak... and talks about whether she will direct Gypsy or not. 

(Note how FUN these interviews are! I'm loving all of the PRESS we're getting).

http://uk.eonline.com/videos/200089/take-a-guilt-trip-with-barbra-streisand

Emmy winner Jake Hamilton sits down to talk with Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen about their new comedy, THE GUILT TRIP:

http://youtu.be/QolZr1Zdn88

The Today Show Interview.

Barbra Streisand: ‘I’m not a diva’

The legendary singer and actress chats with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie about filming her new holiday movie, “The Guilt Trip,” with co-star Seth Rogen, the road trips she takes with her husband, and the “pure joy” of singing onstage with her son.

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50116165/#50116165

Article: Art Streiber on photographing Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen for the “Guilt Trip” movie poster

http://stocklandmartelblog.com/2012/12/07/art-streiber-barbra-streisand-seth-rogen-guilt-trip/

Article: Riding Shotgun With Your Mother: Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen Discuss ‘The Guilt

Trip’

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/movies/barbra-streisand-and-seth-rogen-discuss-the-guilt-trip.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Clips from the movie:

Paramount have added some great clips from the movie on their official youtube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Paramount/videos?query=guilt+trip

Forthcoming Press Interviews:

Keep an eye on my website for new interviews with Barbra over the next week or so. I've been told Barbra will speak to AP, USA Today, LA Times, US Weekly and Parade Magazine, to name a few. There is so much press happening each day - that it's hard to keep up with. I will try and update you all as frequently as possible.

Other News:

Back to Brooklyn Tour - Blu-ray/DVD?

Alot of people are asking if I know when the tour DVD will be released, especially since some of the recent interviews with Barbra included fantastic footage of Barbra and Jason singing from the tour. I have no information on the DVD yet. As soon as I know more, I will update you.

Barbra Streisand on 'Gypsy': What's age gotta do with it?

Click here to read the article:

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/12/06/barbra-streisand-gypsy-2/

Barbra Streisand: Classical Barbra. Completely Remastered with Two Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks.

In 1973, Barbra Streisand went into the studio to make one of the first – and still considered one of the best – classical crossover recordings, CLASSICAL BARBRA. This unique collection of art songs and arias was originally released in February 1976, with its striking cover portrait by Francesco Scavullo, and has never gone out of print. The German composer and arranger Claus Ogerman conducts the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and accompanies Streisand at the piano in music of Canteloube, Fauré, Handel, Orff, Schumann and Wolf.

Thirteen-time Grammy –winning producer Steven Epstein has remastered the original recording for this reissue, the first since its original CD release in 1987. Most importantly, it contains the first ever release of two additional tracks recorded during the original sessions but never available until now – two of Franz Schubert’s best-known songs, “An Sylvia” and “Auf dem Wasser zu singen.”

TRACKLIST:

“Beau Soir” - Debussy

“Brezairola” (Berceuse) from Chants d’Auvergne (Part III) - Canteloube

“Verschwiegene Liebe” (No.3) from Eichendorff Lieder - Wolf

Pavane in F Sharp Minor, Op. 50 (Vocalise) – Faure

“Aprés un rêve” from Trois melodies, Op. 7, No. 1 – Fauré

“In trutina” from Carmina Burana – Orff

“Lascia ch’io pianga” from Rinaldo – Handel

“Mondnact” from Liederkreis, Op. 39, No. 5 – Schumann

“Dank sei Dir, Herr” – Ochs

“I Loved You” - Ogerman

BONUS TRACKS:

“An Sylvia”, D.891 – Schubert

“Auf dem Wasser zu singen”, D. 774 – Schubert

Click here to pre-order.

Driving Miss Barbra

By Joel Stein - Time Magazine.

I could easily go on a road trip with my Jewish New Jersey mom, like Seth Rogen’s character does with Barbra Streisand in the movie The Guilt Trip. I’d just crank the AC, blast some Sirius XM Broadway, stop for lots of Starbucks lattes, pretend to listen—no problem. But I couldn’t imagine taking a long drive with Barbra Streisand. She’s like my mom, only literally a diva.

But I wanted to see just how good a Jewish boy I could be, so I offered to pick Barbra up at her Malibu house and take an hour-long drive to Beverly Hills. When I arrived, her assistant led me to a stately room overlooking the ocean that was filled with John Singer Sargent paintings, Chippendale furniture and a disturbing number of dolls. I sat nervously trying not to touch anything for half an hour until finally Barbra appeared and said, “You’re a little crazy, right?” When I realized that she had prepared for our drive by reading my columns, she moved on to her second question: “Why are all Jewish boys so horny?” I got about a quarter into my answer when, luckily, she started giving me a tour of the house, one of three she owns right next to one another. She took six years off work to help build the newest, most spectacular one and goes there less than once a month. “The bed isn’t comfortable,” she told me.

Barbra packed a Voss water and a cup of berries for our trip. As we headed out to the driveway toward a brand-new Ford C-MAX hybrid I was borrowing, she asked, “Is your car clean?” Then she got inside and—just like my mom—told me it was too warm. Five minutes down the road, as I was shivering, she said, “We have to turn the air down.” When I happily turned the dial up, she said, “No, leave the temperature the same, but turn down the air blowing. For the sound for your recording.” I told her the recording would be fine. “No, there’s too much air.” I began to feel relieved that Barbra hadn’t agreed to stop somewhere to eat, since we would have spent the whole time changing tables.

Unfortunately, we’d gotten a late start, so we couldn’t do any sightseeing. I had suggested a day trip to Santa Barbara, but she agreed to only a one-hour drive. The movie director had wanted to shoot The Guilt Trip by having the two actors actually drive cross-country, but Barbra said no to any location more than 45 minutes from her house. “I love my home,” she explained. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to make the time to see your home while you’re on a long location shoot when you can’t even manage to see it while living right next door.

Although Barbra did not sing along in the car, she provided a fair amount of drama. Whenever we came within 20 feet of another car, Barbra would thrust her hand in front of her and make a little noise. “Look at that guy, all over the road!” she yelled about a car changing lanes. “Look at this guy!” she exclaimed about a driver ahead of us who was driving. When I suggested she drive part of the way, she told me she doesn’t drive anymore. “You know why? I was driving one day, and I found myself driving up the off-ramp of a highway.”

“When’s the last time you drove?” I asked.

“In the ’80s maybe.”

“You haven’t driven since the 1980s?”

“Wait—this is 2012. Maybe the ’90s.”

At first she refused the unsalted minipretzels I brought that I’d heard she liked, since she was about to get her photo taken and didn’t want any minipretzel bloat. “This is a pretty good brand,” she said, looking at my bag of Snyder’s of Han­over pretzels. “I’ll have one.”

Other than the temperature controlling and backseat driving, Barbra was a really fun, mellow driving buddy. She told me about her cousin Lowell, I told her what a mullet is, she told me she’s thinking of casting Lady Gaga as the lead in her remake of Gypsy, and I told her I was really, really cold. We agreed that she looks really young and that I should say so in this column. Barbra also told me that her body is trained to wake up at 6:25 a.m. so she can start trading stocks in her nightgown right when the market opens in New York City. When I asked her for picks, she told me the exact same thing my mom, who also has CNBC on all day, does: “Apple! Apple!” Toward the end, we called my mom, who was very, very excited. During the conversation I found out the only person more horrified than my mom at the fact that I haven’t seen The Way We Were is Barbra Streisand.

I dropped Barbra off at the hotel, where she gave me a hug, took the bag of pretzels and seemed a little too eager to get away. And as I drove home, feeling a bit lonely, I realized that I’m not at all sure my mom would be willing to take a road trip with me. But she sure as hell would take one with Barbra.

Read more: http://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/05/driving-miss-barbra/#ixzz2EBlbbbDx

Alternate Poster for The Guilt Trip

New Press.

New Clip: Barbra on Dr. Phil.

Barbra will appear on the Dr. Phil show this Monday. Here is an exclusive clip from the show:

http://www.barbranews.com/drphil.htm

Other press:

I've also heard that Barbra has recorded an interview with The Today Show which should air this Friday. 

Joel Stein, who hosted the Q&A session with Barbra and Seth on Sunday recently spent some time with Barbra - and his interview will be published on Friday in Time Magazine.

As soon as I have more concrete information on forthcoming press spots - I will bring them to you.

First Press Interview for THE GUILT TRIP.

Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen play mother and son in the upcoming comedy The Guilt Trip, and their on-screen roles seemed to seep into their real lives during Nancy O'Dell's sit down with the movie stars.

In observing how Streisand's maternal instincts came out around Rogen in the interview, Nancy was curious about how similar Streisand is compared to Rogen's biological mom.

"They're both very high-functioning people," Rogen said, drawing dubious looks from his co-star. "It means you're very aware of everything that's happening ... Nothing gets passed you."

Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) directs the flick which follows a young inventor (Rogen) and his mother (Streisand), who embark on a road trip together while trying to sell Rogen's new product. But each of them has an ulterior motive: He plans on reuniting his mother with a former flame, while she plans on forcing him to get over his phobia of commitment in relationships.

"I call this a different kind of love story, because it's not just funny -- it's touching," said Streisand, to which Rogen quipped, "It makes it seem really dirty when you describe it like that."

The Guilt Trip opens Christmas Day. Watch the video to see the comedian and the Oscar winner play a speed round of our pop-culture word association game.

Click here to watch the video clip. 

The Guilt Trip Updates.

Newly released clips:

Click to watch "The Guilt Trip Movie Official Spot: One Trip"

Click to watch The Guilt Trip Movie Official Spot: Real Mother

Click to watch the Full Length Trailer: The Full Length Trailer (Released October 2012):

Competitions: Win the ultimate road trip! http://www.guilttripmovie.com/GuiltTripPics/

Note: The movie will now open on December 19th (previously December 25th).

 More updates to follow.

MusiCares Concert Out NOW!

On February 11, 2011, Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares® Person of the Year. At a gala event in Los Angeles, Barbra and an all-star cast of guests including Tony Bennett, Faith Hill, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, Seal, Stevie Wonder and more performed many of the songs she made famous throughout her illustrious career. On November 13th, Shout! Factory will release A MusiCares Tribute to Barbra Streisand, a collection of these never-before-seen performances on DVD and Blu-ray.

•  Down With Love / Get Happy/ Make Someone Happy – Diana Krall
•  Guilty – Seal Somewhere – Leona Lewis
•  On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) / Lazy Afternoon – Herbie Hancock and Nikki Yanofsky
•  My Man – Lea Michele Come Rain or Come Shine – Jeff Beck, LeAnn Rimes and BeBe Winans
•  Send in the Clowns – Faith Hill
•  One Less Bell to Answer / A House Is Not a Home– Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison
•  Memory – Barry Manilow
•  Smile – Tony Bennett
•  People – Stevie Wonder featuring Arturo Sandoval
•  Windmills of Your Mind – Barbra Streisand
•  The Promise (I’ll Never Say Goodbye) – Barbra Streisand

Pre-order Musicares Tribute to Barbra Streisand [Blu-ray]

Pre-order Musicares Tribute to Barbra Streisand DVD

Barbra States Her Proud Support For President Barack Obama

WASHINGTON, DC—The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) released a video today featuring renowned actress and singer Barbra Streisand stating her proud support for President Barack Obama. Streisand has been a longtime supporter of the President and felt it essential to lend her voice during these crucial final days of the 2012 campaign.

“We are extremely humbled and honored to work with Barbra Streisand on this video,” said NJDC Chair Marc R. Stanley. “Ms. Streisand is a legendary actress, a longtime icon in our community, and a vaunted political activist. She has been supportive of President Obama from the beginning and wanted to help our efforts to educate voters about the President’s true record on Israel.”

 “As a lifelong advocate for women’s and LGBT issues, Streisand is truly frightened by the giant step backwards a Romney-Ryan ticket represents,” said NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris. “She is committed to doing everything she can to make it clear why President Obama will be the choice for Jewish voters.”

Click here to view the video.

Date Move for The Guilt Trip.

Paramount Pictures has moved the release date for the Barbra Streisand-Seth Rogen comedy The Guilt Trip to December 19, 2012.

"Release Me" Charts at #7

BARBRA STREISAND'S "RELEASE ME" HITS THE CHARTS AT #7, HER 32ND TOP TEN ALBUM BOLSTERING HER POSITION AS THE THIRD HIGHEST ACHIEVING ARTIST EVER IN THAT MAJOR STAT. LAST HALF DOZEN NEW STREISAND ALBUMS HAVE CHARTED IN TOP TEN

Adding to her lead over The Beatles as the third highest ranked recording act or artist in achievement of one of the industry's most respected statistics, the number of albums to attain Top Ten status, Barbra Streisand's new Columbia Records album, "Release Me," debuted at #7 this week. It becomes her 32nd album and sixth in a row to rank in the top ten. The only artists with more in that category are The Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra.

A year ago, when her album "What Matters Most" arrived on the charts at #4, Streisand eased past The Beatles with whom she had been tied for third place with 30. "Release Me" is comprised of eleven recordings, dating back as far as 1967, which were not included on the albums for which they had been intended. They've all been stored in her vault until now. Over the past year, the artist painstakingly selected recordings to create "Release Me".

All of Streisand's six most recent albums of new material have charted top ten. 2009's "Love Is The Answer," became her 9th Number One album, making her the only artist or act to have Number One Albums in five consecutive decades. Prior to that, her 2007 album "Streisand: Live In Concert" was ranked seventh, "Guilty Pleasures" in 2005 reached number five and "The Movie Album" (2003) arrived in the number five spot as well.

The most accomplished female recording artist ever, Barbra Streisand has received 10 Grammys-including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Grammy Legend Awards-51 gold albums, 30 platinum albums, and 13 multi-platinum albums. According to the RIAA, Barbra Streisand is the #1 best-selling female recording artist in history and the only woman to make the Top 10 all-time best-selling artists list.

Highlights of "Release Me," her latest top ten winner, include: "Didn't We" written by Jimmy Webb - recorded in 1970 for an unreleased album project titled The Singer; the standard "Willow Weep For Me" - an unreleased track recorded in 1967 for Simply Streisand, arranged by Ray Ellis . noted for his legendary work with Billie Holiday; A striking version of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going Rain Today," with Barbra on vocals and Newman on piano - from the 1971 Stoney End sessions; an unreleased studio version of "With One More Look At You" from A Star Is Born; Two tracks from the unreleased sequel to the acclaimed The Broadway Album, titled Back To Broadway - "Home" (from The Wiz) and "How Are Things In Glocca Morra ? / Heather On The Hill" (from Finian's Rainbow / Brigadoon).

The complete track listing for Release Me features: Being Good Isn't Good Enough (from Hallelujah, Baby!), Didn't We, Willow Weep For Me, Try To Win A Friend, I Think It's Going To Rain Today, With One More Look At You (from A Star Is Born,) Lost In Wonderland, How Are Things In Glocca Morra? / Heather On The Hill (from Finian's Rainbow / Brigadoon,) Mother And Child, If It's Meant To Be, Home (from The Wiz).

Link to Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/news/macklemore-ryan-lewis-score-top-billboard-1007981952.story#/news/macklemore-ryan-lewis-score-top-billboard-1007981952.story

Hi everyone: I have just arrived back in the UK - after the most wonderful week of my life. 3 Barbra shows in a week - how lucky can you get? It was so amazing to meet so many of you for the first time. I was amazed how many people recognized me from the website.

Thank you for making my trip even MORE memorable than it was. I wanted to alert you all to the fact that there are some NEW "Meet Barbra" auctions running now for the West Coast shows. Don't forget - the money goes to The Streisand Foundation - so not only do you get to meet Barbra, and have top seats at the show, but you're benefiting such a worthy cause. 

The concerts included are: LAS VEGAS, SAN JOSE and LOS ANGELES (x2).

 For the record, Linda Eppley who has helped moderate my message board for nearly 10 years won the auction to meet Barbra in Brooklyn. She's still on cloud 9... and it's an experience she'll never forget. So if you can afford it, go for it!! Once in a lifetime experience.

 Here is a link to view the auctions: 

http://www.barbrastreisand.com/us/news/charitybuzz-auctions-meet-barbra-streisand-your-choice-concerts

A Star Is Born Coming To Blu-ray

A STAR FILLED CLASSIC ON BLU-RAY FOR THE FIRST TIME!

A Star Is Born 40-Page Blu-Ray Book - with live performance photos, rare behind-the-scenes photos and more!

Special Features Include:

• Commentary by Barbra Streisand.
• Additional Scenes.
• Wardrobe Tests.
• Soundtrack remastered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• A Star Is Born Trailer Gallery.

Coming: February 5, 2013.

Click here to pre-order.

Barbra Opens Tour In Philadelphia.

I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of Barbra's 2012 USA/Canada tour last night. I flew in from England - and was fortunate to experience the show from the front row! This was my 8th Barbra concert since 2006... and definitely ranked at #1 for me. Barbra's voice was the best I've ever heard (She said she give up tomatoes, as they weren't helping her voice!). The set-list was so wonderful and varied too. I don't want to spoil the fun for those of you who want it to be a surprise... but Matt Howe has the list up on his site (link at bottom of this report).

Photos by Russell James.

Phillyburbs.com:

Her consistently entertaining three-hour concert commenced with a montage of photos featuring shots of the iconic figure’s childhood in Brooklyn. There was also footage from a 1970s documentary with interviews featuring Streisand’s high school friends. It closed with a pal asking Babs to come back to Brooklyn for a concert. 

"...the mezzo soprano can still hit the high notes, which she did during her moving rendition of a re-arranged "The Way We Were" and the pretty "Don't Rain On My Parade. Exquisite choices "The Way He Makes Me Feel," from the "Yentl" soundtrack, "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" and the show opener "Being Good (Isn’t Good Enough)," a terrific 60-piece orchestra and her special set of pipes were just part of the reason the show will go down as a truly memorable event."

Perhaps what was most significant is that Streisand impressed by just being herself. She held court in between each song and lived in the moment. The legendary figure responded to virtually every remark by the audience and somehow made the arena seem like a club. She paid tribute to her good friend, composer Marvin Hamlisch, who she started working with a half-century ago. 

 USA Today:

Philly nods: After noting similarities between Brooklyn and South Philly ("You have cheesesteaks, we have cheese blintzes"), she paid tribute to Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the Philadelphia composers behind her medley of Nice 'n' Easy and That Face. 

Guest night:The Italian pop-opera ensemble Il Volo joined her for Smile, then did two songs by themselves, including a rousing O Sole Mio. "Take that, Justin Bieber!" she joked, referencing the teen trio's tender age. 

Her new duet partner: Son Jason Gould ("His first public appearance," Mom says) displayed a soft, pleasing tenor voice as both sat down to sing How Deep Is the Ocean.

A golden moment: She sang a beautifully burnished version of People, then an autumnal Here's to Life. It was a touching, masterful rendition from an aging pro, and she toasted the audience with a cup of tea, ending with "l'chiam" (to life). The night ended with an encore of Leonard Bernstein's Some Other Time.

Matt Howe has a great write up at his site: www.barbra-archives.com

Matt Howe and I before the show!

POSTER + VIDEO TEASER from "The Guilt Trip" Released!

Click here to view: http://www.barbrastreisand.com/us/news/video-teaser-poster-guilt-trip

USA Today also have a gallery of images from the movie here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2012/10/01/sneak-peek-at-guilt-trip/1600767/

Barbra talks to AP.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Back in the day, if Barbra Streisand made one vocal error or found one problem while recording a song, she'd toss the whole thing.

"If I didn't like that one word, I wouldn't release the record," the 70-year-old said in a recent interview. "Because in those days ... we did take one, take two, take three. We made albums in three days. Twelve songs. We didn't have this digital way."

Now, because of her perfectionism, she has a case full of unreleased material, and she's decided to share it with the world.

"Release Me," a collection of Streisand songs she recorded in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, is out Tuesday. It also includes the new song "If It's Meant to Be," written by her longtime friends and collaborators, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, recorded last year.

___

AP: How's does it feel to finally release this music?

Streisand: It feels liberating. It's really interesting because I don't listen to my records after I make them. I am so sick of them because you have to listen to them over and over, in a car, with good speakers, bad speakers. I get so sick of it that I never hear anything. But I had this black case in my house for so long called "Unreleased songs." Listening to some of them again I thought, "God, I was hard on myself."

AP: How many songs are in that black case?

Streisand: I have another album or two. ... I really wasn't aware of how many things I had in there, between films and videotapes and TV shows. I actually never (have) been to my vaults, can you imagine? I just see them in pictures.

AP: What would Barbra now say to Barbra back then?

Streisand: Be easier on yourself. A lot of these things were done in one take; we don't have a choice and I didn't want to fix it. I didn't want to go in and fix things.

AP: You're returning to your hometown, Brooklyn, N.Y., for your tour at the new Barclays Center. How does that feel?

Streisand: It's like a coming home. It's coming back to my roots. It's where I was born. It was where I was raised. I didn't go into Manhattan 'til I was 14 years old. I didn't even know it existed. I thought the world was just Brooklyn.

AP: Do you remember first going into Manhattan?

Streisand: I'll never forget that moment taking the subway to see the theatre 'cause I wanted to be an actress. ... Just what was happening in that city, my God. So exciting for me as a 14-year-old.

AP: What can people expect from the tour?

Streisand: A lot of songs I've never sung live before. Some songs I wrote, even. I wrote a song in "A Star Is Born" — "Evergreen" became the hit — but not the other song, "Lost Inside of You," that I wrote with Leon Russell, and now we just recorded it for the duets album. Haven't picked who's going to sing the duet yet. But it's really cool. I'm working with Babyface. ... (Babyface) is fantastic. I hope people can sing as good as him because ... he's just fabulous.

AP: What did you think of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions?

Streisand: I am glued. ... I watch news shows — MSNBC, CNN. Thank God (President Barack) Obama's pulling ahead because it's a clear choice, you know, in my opinion. If you want to survive as a planet, recognize that there is climate change and you want to protect your food and your air and your water from pesticides, chemicals, you want to focus on education and young people and giving healthcare to the public — there's no choice.

AP: Are there any contemporary musicians who are impressing you?

Streisand: I haven't had time to listen. When I finish an album like "Release Me" and now working on the duets album, believe me, I never turn on the radio. I only listen to news; something that concerns the whole country and world.